


Embrace

by reignofthefandoms



Category: Archie Comics, Riverdale (TV 2017), Riverdale (TV 2017) RPF
Genre: Aunt!Betty, Domestic Fluff, F/M, Pops Diner, Serpent!Jughead, Smut, Waitress!Betty
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-10-10
Updated: 2018-12-19
Packaged: 2019-07-29 02:45:54
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 12,247
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16255088
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/reignofthefandoms/pseuds/reignofthefandoms
Summary: When tragedy strikes the Cooper family Betty must take her sister’s twins and relocate to her mom’s hometown of Riverdale. There, she meets the mysterious and intriguing Jughead Jones. Will things between them blossom or Will Betty’s hectic schedule and the pressing needs of the twins stifle the flames between them?





	1. Chapter 1

Betty wiped the counter in front of her absentmindedly. She knew that this new job was important. She should be focusing, especially since this was her first night but her mind kept racing with all of the unexpected events in her life during the past six months. Even the ones that occurred almost everyday. Just like how she woke up this morning and every other morning wondering why Polly wasn’t waking up the kids, just to remember that her sister was dead. Or when she cooks breakfast for the kids on the weekend just to remember how well her mom used to make chocolate chip pancakes. She sighed cleaning the same spot that she had been working on for the past fifteen minutes. 

“Betty, you’ve got a new table.” Pop called out to her making her snap out of her daze. She nodded as she grabbed her pad of paper and made her way over to the new customer. Pop really was so kind to her. When she had called him up from Boston he had no reservations, immediately coming to her aid. Her and the twins were living in his basement apartment where Mrs.Tate quite often brings cookies for the kids. He had given her this job without discussion or an interview. She knew even if she fucked up here, he wouldn’t fire her so easily. But she didn’t want to let him down, she would make sure she did her job to the best of her ability. 

She left Boston for the kids’ sake, their mother and grandmother’s memory lingered there. Every inch of the house radiated some reminder of them. While Betty knew it was vital for them to have fond memories of their mother, after all they wouldn’t have many since they were only four. The ones that lingered in that house were haunted ones, ones full of the pain the family experienced when they heard of the news. Betty was just relieved that the twins had come out of the crash unscathed. Aurora and Knox had a long life ahead of them and Betty was going to make sure they had the best. Moving to Riverdale seemed like the only viable option to get away from the poignant impressions and the judgemental and highly opinionated neighbors. 

So far Riverdale seemed like a welcoming home. The few people she had already met had been so generous. Even though she hadn’t seen Pop Tate since she was a little girl, he welcomed her with open arms. His wife, Edna Tate, had already been so friendly and Betty could tell she would soon be like an adopted grandmother to the twins, who quickly were beginning to love her. Even her trainer at work, Ethel Muggs, she had made an instant connection with. Betty saw a close friendship in their future. As Betty walked up to the new customer, who looked quite comfortable in the booth making Betty assume that he was a regular, she thought that maybe he might mean something to her later on. Maybe she was just fabricating but something in her gut said they would be friends.

“Hi welcome to Pop’s. My name is Betty, I’ll be helping you this evening. Can I start you with something to drink?” Betty asked with a small smile, slightly showing her teeth like Ethel showed her.

The man who sat in the booth was a young man probably around Betty’s age. His dark hair flopped against his forehead framing his green eyes and intoxicating smile. The small edge of a toothpick peeked out from his mouth. “You must be new here. I haven't seen you around yet.” He detected leaning forward onto the table which made the leather jacket he wore tighten around his back and arms. A green snake curved into an S laid on his back, an old fashioned woven patch. 

Betty nodded her head, tapping her pencil on her notepad, visibly nervous. Whether from this being her first shift without a trainer, or from his presence, she wasn’t exactly sure. She cleared her throat quietly. “I started a few weeks ago but I was on day shift while I was training. Now I’m on night shift by myself.” She paused awkwardly not knowing what to say. “Cause I graduated…. Yay!” She cheered tepidly, throwing her arms in the arm in a haphazardly manner. 

The man chuckled lightly at her as he shook his head. “Well congratulations Betty.” He said pushing his bangs back away from his face before letting them go just to reverse his previous action. “Let’s see how you do.” He offered with a smile. “I’ll start off with a black coffee.” He said as he handed her his menu. “I won’t be needing this.” 

It was at this point that Betty noticed that he hadn’t even opened his menu yet he knew exactly what he wanted. She took the menu from him as he gave her his complete order including the dessert he wanted later. A cheeseburger with mayonnaise, ketchup, and lettuce and tomatoes. Pickles on the side. French Fries, honey mustard no ketchup and a vanilla milkshake when he was halfway done his meal. Betty took a deep breath, not sure if he would be an easy customer or a tough one. One thing was sure he knew what he wanted. Betty thanked him for his order and turned to head to the kitchen. 

“Hey Betty,” The man called from the seat gaining her attention.

She turned the face him, “Yeah?” 

He smiled at her, “My name is Jughead, by the way. You will be seeing me quite a bit.” He noted.

“Good to know Jughead.” She smiled and headed to the kitchen. It was soon after she walked behind the counter that she found out just how often she would see him. 

Ethel was almost immediately by Betty’s side after she came back from giving Jughead his coffee. “That’s Jughead Jones. He’s a regular here, comes in every night around eleven.”

Betty nodded taking in Ethel’s words as she dried the inside of the glass in her hand. She watched him as he typed away on his computer, casually taking sips of his coffee. Betty wondering how he could drink it black, she always filled her coffee with loads of sugar and cream. She shrugged it off before placing the dried glass on the counter and picking up another wet one. She looked back to Jughead this time letting her eyes gaze fall over the embroidery on his back. “What’s up with his jacket?” Betty asked turning to Ethel.

Ethel raised her eyebrows and clicked her tongue, “Yeah that.” She shook her head taking Betty’s glass from her hand. “That symbol belongs to a gang called the Southside Serpents. The Southside is a portion of Riverdale that is right across the tracks, where the lowlifes live. The serpents are the gang that protects the Southside. Jughead’s father is the leader of the serpents and Jughead is his right head man.” She sighed. “It may sound sexy but if I were you I’d make sure not to cross him.”

Before Betty could respond the cook rang the bell letting her know a dish was ready making her jump. “Thanks Sal.” She said to the cook behind the wall before grabbing the plate and bringing it over to Jughead’s table. “Here you go Jughead, anything else I can get for you?” 

Jughead took a swift look around the restaurant before looking back at her. “Seems like you don’t have any customers to serve. Why don’t you sit down here, keep me company?”

Betty was tempted but knew better, "Oh I probably shouldn’t, I should be doing my job." She chuckled nervously. “It is still my first month here.” 

Jughead chuckled softly glancing over at Ethel who was staring at them from the counter. "Did Ethel tell you to stay away?” He asked looking back at Betty, “Come on, I promise I don't bite,” He paused before smirking, “hard”

Betty shivered at his words quickly rubbed her arm to hide it. She sighed, “Just a minute.” She said sitting down across from him. 

Jughead grabbed a french fry and popped it in his mouth. “You know Pop is a good friend of mine, and I went to high school with Ethel.” He offered thinking perhaps that might help his case. “Although Ethel always was scared of me and my boys. Not sure why, we never touched a fly in that school. We behaved ourselves, my father’s rule.” 

Betty shook her head softly. He really thought a rule was going to impress her? Make her feel any safer around him? “And if there wasn’t a rule? Would you have hurt the kids you went to school with?” 

Jughead shook his head taking a bite of his burger and wiping his mouth. “No Betty, I never hurt anyone unless absolutely necessary, generally it is more a scare tactic. And when it is necessary I _never _enjoy it.” He said seriously.__

__Betty didn’t say a word for a moment instead she sat there watching him as he devoured the cheeseburger in his hand. “Do you make it a habit to invite waitresses to join your table?” She asked smirking slightly at him._ _

__Jughead laughed causing him to choke on his water. “I do not.” He said looking up at her. “Although, I do hope to from now on.” He said winking with a sparkle in his eye before getting up to go to the bathroom._ _

__When he left Betty quickly got up and went back to the counter, using his absence as a opportunity to escape._ _

__Unfortunately the vanilla milkshake sitting on the counter made her go back a few minutes later when he returned to his seat._ _

__Jughead smiled at her as she brought it back to him. “Just drawn back to me huh?”_ _

__Betty rolled her eyes with a small smile betraying her cool demeanor before sitting the milkshake in front of him. “Enjoy.” She said before moving to the table next to him to clean off the surface._ _

__Jughead took a sip from his milkshake before speaking up again. “So you're new in town right? Where are you from?”_ _

__Betty smiled to herself, even though she knew she shouldn't care about this conversation, she was happy it was continuing. “Boston.”_ _

__Jughead nodded, “That's at least a 3 hours drive. Long way. Why’d you move here?”_ _

__“My mother's hometown, needed a fresh start.” She said simply not wanting to explain about her family traumatic year._ _

__Jughead took it in stride not asking anymore questions or pressing his luck, simply giving her a small smile. Instead of the awkward exchange continuing, Betty and Jughead fell into easy conversation as the other waitresses left for the night. Soon only Betty was left to take care of the customers until closing at two.Thankfully, it wouldn't be many. Most of the customers who came in were call in orders. Making Betty leave Jughead’s table for only a moment and then she would return. It wasn’t until five minutes before closing that Jughead said Goodnight leaving Betty to wonder what her nights would look like from now on._ _

__As she locked up for the night, Betty phone buzzed. She jumped at the feeling, hoping Jughead somehow found her number, even though she knew that wasn’t true. She looked down at her glowing phone to see Ethel smiling face next to the text bubble._ _

___Sooooo, How did it go with the serpent king? ____ _

____Betty chuckled at the message, shaking her head gently. Betty finished locking the door and slipped into her car, pulling her phone out again. _I don’t know what you are talking about. It wasn’t like that.__ _ _ _

______Betty didn’t even get a chance to start her car before Ethel was messaging her again._ _ _ _ _ _

_______Well he certainly was looking at you like **that **. __****__ _ _ _ _ _

_______****_Betty felt a blush creep onto cheeks before throwing her phone on the passenger seat and driving home to her niece and nephew._ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _ _


	2. Chapter 2

The rest of that week seemed to fly by. Betty got used to her shifts and soon learned it would be her favorite part of her days. While she loved her niece and nephew very much, her whole new life as a ‘mother’ was overwhelming. The calm that the diner provided in comparison was a relief. She even was making good money with her tips. She found that the people in this town were decent and warmhearted. Even those involved in the so-called dangerous Southside Serpents were generous. Jughead Jones himself always left a five dollar tip even if his bill wasn't that high. She was grateful for it though because that weekend she could plan a fun day with the twins. 

Being new in town made it hard to figure out what to do. She spent most of Thursday and Friday asking around for what there was to do in Riverdale. She found out there was a bowling alley and two movie theaters, one indoors and one a drive in. Which was something Betty had never experienced herself. Of course, there were other things to do but those three seemed to be the most popular answers. Betty decided on a trip to the movies and a stop at the ice cream parlor afterwards.

Jughead was hanging out with the serpents just outside the movie theater at their usual place, the Whyte wyrm. Except this time this simply sat outside on their motorcycles. It's was only noon so they hadn't even thought of drinking anything strong. 

Jughead was caught up in conversation when one of his friends, Fangs, hit his shoulder to get his attention. “Isn't that your waitress?” He asked squeezing Jughead’s shoulder with a provoking chuckle.

Jughead took in the sight of Betty holding the hands of two small children. His heart sank in dismay for reasons he couldn't recognize. Sure they only had a few small conversations, but Jughead thought they had a pretty easy connection and there was no doubt he was attracted to Betty. But she was a mother and probably married, because who would ever leave someone like her? Jughead shook his head and changed the subject, not wanting to think about Betty and her kids anymore. The possibility that she was off the market crushed him but the walls that he had built up for himself guarded people from knowing the truth. 

“She’s not my waitress.” Jughead said bitterly before turning back to his motorcycle to climb onto it. With just a mumbled, _See you later, _Jughead drove away.__

__That night Betty found the diner eerily empty, and although it was generally slow during her night, it surprised her that even Jughead hadn’t come by at his usual time. It wasn’t until midnight that Jughead came strolling into the diner. She smiled at him as he entered the restaurant but he didn’t sport his usual grin. Today, just a slight smile formed on his face. “Good Evening Jughead, Would you like your usual table?”_ _

__Jughead sighed, shaking his head. “No Betty, I called in. I’m taking it home tonight.”_ _

__Betty’s stomach dropped in disappointment, their nightly conversations had become a highlight to her and today she would have to go without it. She sighed softly and turned around to grab his food. She must not have been the one who picked up the phone for his order or she would have recognized his voice._ _

__“17.50.” She said clearly to him even though she knew he already knew his total from ordering the same food almost every night._ _

__Jughead barely responded to her, just a soft grumble. His eyes lingered on her hand as they passed the money between them. Jughead took a deep breath as he told her to keep the change. “Goodnight Betty.” He said with a warm smile that looked similar to those they had shared before then walked out the door._ _

__Betty stood there staring at the door that Jughead just walked out of. Why was he suddenly so hostile?_ _

__Jughead climbed onto his motorcycle with a sigh slipping his helmet on. He stared into the near empty restaurant watching as Betty slumped over the counter. She looked bored, almost disappointed in the lack of adventure in her night. Maybe she was fighting with her husband. He thought back to just to a moment ago when he held her hand lightly in his. Her hand was soft but there was no ring. Maybe she just didn’t wear one. Or they fought so much that she refused to wear it? Jughead sighed shaking away the overwhelming thoughts. He started his motorcycle which revved his engine causing Betty to look up at him. He locked eyes with her for a moment before speeding away into the night._ _

__The next day he showed up on time. Betty smiled at him relieved to see him sitting in his usual seat. She took a deep breath and walked up to him biting her lip softly. “Hey stranger… You getting your usual?” She asked tapping her pen against her order pad._ _

__“Yeah.” Jughead answered with a nod handing her his unused menu. He barely looked at her just stared into the black coffee she had brought him._ _

__Betty almost let out a huff of irritation but held it back. What was going on? Something was bothering him, she knew that but she had no clue what. Instead of saying anything she snatched the menu out of his hand causing Jughead's head to snap in her direction. She ignored him and walked back to the counter._ _

__Ten minutes later when his burger was up, Betty hadn't been back to the table. Normally, she’d have stopped a few times to waste time talking to him. Not tonight, not with the rotten attitude his was giving her. When she walked back to the table to give him his burger she practically threw it onto the table in front of him._ _

__“What the hell Betty?” Jughead asked jumping back in his seat._ _

__Before Betty could give him any response, the shrill sound of children rang through the diner. Betty turned her head towards the door just in time to see her niece and nephew running through the door. Betty gasped as her niece Aurora attacked her with a hug followed by her nephew Knox._ _

__“Aunt Betty, we missed you!!” The twins cheered in unison._ _

__Betty sighed and looked at Mrs. Tate. “They shouldn't be here.”_ _

__Edna shook her head, “Oh nonsense! Pop owns this place and I know he won't mind!” She said waving Betty off. “They missed you and I promised them milkshakes before bed.” Edna finished with a giggle._ _

__Betty rolled her eyes, thankful that Edna was putting them to bed tonight and not her. She looked down at the sweet kids that she was guardian to, their eyes wide with excitement. She smiled and turned to Jughead. “Aurora and Knox, this is my friend Jughead. Can you say hi?”_ _

__Aurora immediately jumped into the booth next to Jughead, which took Jughead by surprise. “Um hello…” Jughead greeted with a smile. “What’s your name?”_ _

__Aurora tore her eyes away from Jughead’s plate of fries and looked up at him. “My name is Aurora Leigh Cooper.”_ _

__Jughead smiled at Aurora, “Well Aurora, would you like a fry?” He asked in a hush tone as if it was a secret._ _

__Betty smiled at the two of them as she rubbed Knox’s back who was still hugging her legs. The poor kid was always quiet but it had gotten much worse since his mother’s passing. Betty didn’t mind it, Aurora made up for Knox’s quiet. Betty had just learned to be there for Knox whatever he needed, most of the time that just meant holding him when he snuggled up to her._ _

__As Betty watched Aurora eat half of Jughead’s fries, she couldn’t help but laugh. There were a lot of things that she had heard about people’s lives in Riverdale that she wasn’t sure was true, but there was one she knew was true. Jughead Jones didn’t share food. She had watched him chow down onto his food time after time with no intent on slowing down._ _

__Before Betty could think of it any more, Edna called out to the kids. “C’mon kids. Pop needs to know what flavor milkshake you want.” She beckoned from a booth nearby where she had taken a seat. Aurora said goodbye to Jughead and ran after Knox who had already made his way to Mrs. Tate._ _

__Betty sighed as she watched the kids climbed into the booth then looked back to Jughead. Jughead opened his mouth to say something but Betty cut him off. “I’ll get you some more fries.” She paused tucking her order pad into her apron. “Don’t worry it’s on the house.” She said leaving the table._ _

__A few minutes later, she returned with a plate of fries. She sat them gently onto the table this time._ _

__“Well that was much more pleasant.” Jughead joked as he popped a fry into his mouth._ _

__Betty sneered at him, “Are you feeling better? Grumpy Jughead went to sleep?”_ _

__Jughead chuckled shaking his head. He reached up to tug gently on his hat. “So they’re your niece and nephew huh? They're not yours?” He asked avoiding eye contact with her._ _

__Betty shook her head, “No they’re not.” She thought for a moment before sighing. “I mean they are mine, legally. I, well, take care of them. They live with me.” She rubbed her forehead as if trying to get her head to work better than it just had. “Their mom, my sister and my mom. They died in a car accident six months ago.”_ _

__Jughead felt like the wind had been knocked out of him. He had no idea. Here he was pouting that she possibly taken, that he couldn’t have her and she had lost her whole family only six months ago. She was taking care of two four year olds all by herself. At least he assumed she was doing it by herself. “I’m so sorry Betty.” He paused, “I had no idea. So How did you end up in Riverdale? I mean after all that wouldn’t you want to be somewhere familiar?”_ _

__Betty shook her head and slid into the booth across from him just like she had so many nights before. “There’s no one there to take care of us and the people that tried…” Betty chuckled thinking of all of the nosey people who wanted to tell her how to raise these kids who she was entrusted with. “Anyway we needed a fresh start.”_ _

__Jughead licked his bottom lip before looking up at her. “We?” He asked his eyes suddenly trained on her._ _

__Betty looked up from her clasped hands. “What?”_ _

__Jughead rubbed his neck letting his eyes drop to the table and back up to her, “You said we. I just um didn’t know what that meant.”_ _

__Betty furrowed her eyebrows and looked to the counter to see if any food was ready. When she said there wasn’t any she looked back to Jughead. “Me and the twins. There were too many memories and too many opinions there.”_ _

__Jughead chest was suddenly no longer heavy. He had been wrong, but it had never felt so good to be wrong. “Well I’m glad you came here.” He smiled at her for a moment seriously causing Betty to wonder what exactly he meant by that. Jughead cracked a smile and said, “We needed another Pop’s waitress.” He said with a wink before laughing._ _

__Betty paused taking in his grin. It was then when it hit her. Jughead Jones’ attitude was gone and only one thing had changed in the past fifteen minutes. Betty had just introduced Jughead to her niece and nephew and told him she was alone with them here. He now knew she was single._ _

__Betty grinned to herself before tucking her lip under her teeth. “So what about you mysterious Jughead Jones? Are you more of an “I” guy or a “we” guy?”_ _

__Jughead was taken back by the question but was certainly up for the game. “I.” He said plainly before adding, “I'm sure the right person could convince me to add “we” to my pronoun repertoire.”_ _

__Betty chucked gently, absentmindedly licking her lips. “Well ‘we’s..” She started getting up from the table and walking to his side of the booth. She brought her hand up to tug gently on the zipper of his leather jacket before letting it slide down softly, her fingers grazing his chest. “Are so much more fun.” She said said before pulling her hand away abruptly and walking to the counter, leaving Jughead Jones breathless._ _


	3. Chapter 3

Betty didn’t know what had gotten into her. Why did she have to be so bold? Just because he was happy to find out she was single doesn’t mean she had to practically undress him with her eyes. She replayed the scene of her caressing Jughead’s chest over and over again. That night she laid awake in her bed trying to rub the images from her eyes. Eventually she fell asleep only to dream of the embarrassing action. She was relieved that no one had noticed the two of them, or the undeniable tension that gushed between them.

Betty willed herself to get up to the sounds of Aurora and Knox banging on her bedroom door, screaming for her to wake up. They were hungry, she knew that. They woke her up everything right about seven am because they wanted breakfast. That left Betty with only about five hours of sleep. It was a routine but not one she was used to yet, no matter how many times it had occurred. 

Betty fixed the kids breakfast then excitedly announced that they were going to the park. She figured the fresh air would do her good after a restless night. Besides the kids would get so tuckered out from running around maybe they’d just take a nap. Then Betty could take one herself.

An hour later after Betty got the kids fed and dressed, they headed out to the park. It was a local park there in Riverdale that was about a five minute walk from their basement apartment. She decidedly took her spot on the bench across from the playground and watched the kids play. She didn’t move out of her seat until she saw Aurora fall off the swings. She stood up in her defensive “mommy” mode when she realized another kid had pushed her off. 

Aurora quickly stood up and ran after the kid who did it. She didn't even stop to brush herself off, she just sprinted towards him yelling, “Hey! Poopy-head! Come back here, you pushed the wrong girl!” This made Betty laughed considering she knew that Aurora had picked up the phrase from Betty. There were many times when the kids did something to her that she tsked at him, wagging a finger while stating, “you picked on the wrong girl.” 

Betty was intently watching the kids play, making sure the boy didn't bother Aurora again, when she felt a hand tap her shoulder.

“Hey Betty.” 

She jumped at the sound of Jughead's voice, breathing heavy as she turned her head slightly to face him. “Jughead…” Her balance was thrown off kilter by his sudden appearance. She bounced up her toes to try and steady herself.

Jughead smirked at her startled state placing a hand on her waist to help her balance. He leaned in so that his head was positioned inside her neck, his mouth near her ear. “Careful Betts. Did something startle you?” He whispered as he softly rubbed her cotton-clad hip. 

Betty opened her mouth to respond but was sit off by the twins running up to them, immediately greeting the Golden retriever the stood by Jughead's side. She only just now noticed it was there. She had been too caught up with Jughead. 

Jughead moved slightly away from Betty dropping him hand from her. He figured she wouldn't want the kids to see him touching her and assume they were something they weren't. “Hey Aurora, Knox.” He greeted. This was welcomed by a hug from Aurora and Knox just slowly sinking onto his knees to hug the dog. Jughead sighed wondering if Knox would ever like him. “This is Hotdog.” He said introducing his furry friend who was busy licking Knox’s face. Jughead laughed softly at him. “He likes you Knox.”

Knox simply just looked up at him and then back down at Hotdog not saying a word. 

Betty sighed at Knox’s response. “So Jughead are you taking Hotdog for a walk?” 

Jughead smiled at her thankful for the interruption from the silence. “Yeah this is our normal route, didn't think we would see you guys here.” 

Betty shrugged, “We uh needed some fresh air.” She paused then added, “I didn't sleep well last night.”

Jughead looked at her with concern, “Oh is everything alright?”

Betty mentally laughed considering she was contemplating her actions with him the night before. “Yeah everything is fine just had a lot on my mind.”

Jughead nodded softly. He wasn't sure about her answer though. He studied her face for a minute before Hotdog started pulling on his leash indicating he wanted to continue their walk. Jughead sighed, “Well I better go.” He said taking a few steps in Hotdog’s direction. “I'll see you tonight Betty?” He asked as if he didn't already know she would be working. 

Betty blushed at his question. She didn't know why but the mere fact that he wanted to know if he'd see her made her insides cheer. “Yeah I'll be there.”

Jughead nodded with a smile. “Good. I'll see you tonight.” He said before he said goodbye to the kids and went on his way. Just like that Jughead Jones was gone minutes after he had appeared.

That night when Jughead walked into the diner, Betty was busying herself with silverware that needed to be wrapped. Instead of heading to his usual table he sat at the counter where Betty stood. The whole diner was empty except for the two of them and the night shift cook.

Betty looked up from her task to Jughead. She smiled softly, “Hey.” She let her glance run to his usual empty booth then back to him. “Aren’t you gonna go sit in your seat?” 

Jughead shook his head before sipping the cup of coffee Betty had just sat in front of him. “I figured I'd sit here so we can talk while you work.”

Betty smiled at him, “That sounds great. I'll put your order in.” She said walking away briefly just to tell the cook she needs Jughead's order. Jughead looked up at her as she brought him his burger and fries. “Don’t worry there’s no fry snatchers today.” She chuckled, “If you want more though just let me know.” 

Jughead smiled at her, “Well I don’t mind having a fry snatcher around if she’s as cute as Aurora.” He chuckled popping a fry into his mouth. “So I’m pretty sure Knox doesn’t like me.” 

Betty shook her head, “No. He’s just quiet.” She sighed and shrugged gently. “He always has been. Ever since he was a baby, Aurora beat him to talking. She started almost a month before him. 

Jughead took in her words, nodding his head slowly. “I know it’s not my place’ but have you ever thought of taking the twins to grief counseling? I mean they been through a lot and Aurora seems okay but you never know what’s going on inside their heads.” He took another sip of coffee. “Especially for Knox. He seems like he’s hurting a lot.”

Betty sighed, she knew she needed to help them somehow and she certainly didn’t have any training. She paused for a moment wondering if even she needed a therapist. She shook her head deciding to focus on the kids for now. “Yeah, I think you’re right. You know of anyone that qualified for something like this?”

Jughead thought for a moment, “There’s a grief counselor in Greendale I’ve heard is pretty good. Won some awards or something.” 

Betty smiled at him, “Okay I’ll check it out.” She said stealing a fry off his plate and winking in his direction.


	4. Chapter 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I totally said I would have this done in a day and it took five days. Sorry guys. Here you go! Who knew filler chapters were so much work.

The next day when Betty called the therapist that Jughead suggested she couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. If someone from back home suggested that she take the twins to therapy she would have told them to mind their own goddamn business. And yet, here she was calling a grief therapist just because her diner patron thought it was a good idea. Deep down she knew why she was being so willing; Jughead actually cared. The people from her hometown were nosy and thought they knew how to raised the twins better than she ever would. But Jughead was different. She could tell by the way he interacted with the kids, even just the few times he had seen them, that he actually was concerned with their well-being. It was the simple things that she had noticed like the way he let Aurora steal his fries and lean on his shoulder. Or the way his eyes brimmed with worry when Knox refused to respond to his greetings and lighthearted questions. Betty wasn’t surprised when he had let his concern known the night before, it had only seemed like a matter of time. Besides Jughead didn’t seem the type to hold back but rather the type to give a piece of his mind. It made sense considering he was a gang leader. Which was a whole other side of Jughead Betty hadn’t seen yet. 

The appointment making process was easier than Betty had anticipated. It had basically been painless. She set an appointment up for the twins that Monday at ten in the morning. It made it even easier that the first visit was gonna be a joint appointment with both the twins. Betty gave her a quick rundown on their situation: the accident, their absent father, and the recent move. The therapist was sweet enough to explain the process of the initial visit to her even though Betty didn’t ask. This made Betty feel more at ease with this new aspect in their lives. 

When that Monday came Betty swore she was more nervous than the twins. They arrived at the office around quarter to ten so Betty could filled out the mounds of paperwork. Paperwork at doctor’s offices were always the worst, especially when they required more than your basic information, but being the guardian of twins made it worse. It was double everything but Betty made it easier by laying the clipboards on top of eachother and filling out both forms at the same time. 

The therapist had them inside her office within ten minutes and Betty had to say she was impressed. Most doctors offices she had been a patient at in Boston were always behind schedule with their patients and even when they weren’t behind, you still waited. 

The office was elegant but homey. The couch that sat across from the therapist’s rocking chair was suede, a fabric Betty was always a fan of. The floors were a deep ashy brown color, Myrtlewood, if Betty had to guess. Across from the couch was a small desk in the right hand corner and a bookshelf on the opposite wall to the couch’s left. In the left hand corner was a play corner filled with toys in a storage containers and two playskool desks. There were coloring and drawing books piled on top of the containers along with a few boxes of crayons. 

Betty sat down next to the twins who looked surprisingly at ease. The uncomfortable feelings inside of them were evident to her but they were doing much better than she imagined they would.

The therapist, Dr. Cheryl Blossom, or just Ms. Cheryl or Cheryl as she instructed Betty and the twins, cleared her throat gently and took a sip of her water. “Now I told you my name is Cheryl, can you tell me what your names are?” She asked leaning in towards with a smile. 

Aurora smiled and stuck out her small hand. “I’m Aurora Leigh Cooper.” 

The therapist smiled and told her it was nice to meet her then turned to Knox. “And you young man?”

Knox looked up sheepishly at her and muttered “Knox.” She smiled again thanking him for his fast answer. 

Cheryl took a few minutes to just get to know the twins asking them various questions like what their favorite food and color was. Betty was sure this was intended to make the children comfortable. She had a feeling that more work would need to be done for Knox. “Okay Aurora, Knox. I have an activity for us to do would you like that?”

Both kids grinned at the idea of an activity. Surprisingly, Knox looked more excited than Aurora. Betty smiled at them as they moved to the floor so they could reach the table that Cheryl sat the supplies on. There were a few different jars of what looked liked colored sand and two empty heart shaped jars in the middle. 

“Now I have one more jar if Aunt Betty would like to play too.” Cheryl said looking up at Betty, “You are more than welcome to participate.”

Betty smiled and shook her head. “I’m completely content watching, Thank you.”

Cheryl nodded with a smile and sat on the floor across the table from the twins. “Okay so each of you get one heart jar.” She said a setting them in front of each of them. “We are gonna put some sand in them and they will be pretty rainbows made up of your emotions.”

Aurora scrunched her eyebrows together when Cheryl said emotions while Knox simply picked up the bottle indicating he was ready. 

Cheryl smiled, “Don’t worry, it will be fun. I promise.” She settled back against the chair that sat behind her. “When you think about your mama, how do you feel?” She asked as she read their facial expressions to see their responses. 

Aurora contorted her face slightly as if she had tasted something sour. “Angry.” Betty felt a punch in her stomach. Why would she be angry? Was she angry that she was stuck with Betty? She sighed softly remembering that that Mollie had told this visit was just to see where she needed to start and not intended to fix the issues she found. 

Knox followed in suit with Aurora, spitting out a quiet, “Sad.”

Cheryl nodded thanking them for answering and told them each to pick a colored sand that they thought represented that word. Aurora reached for the red sand while Knox reached for blue. Cheryl then helped them pour some of the sand into their jars. 

Next Cheryl asked a happier question. “What about Aunt Betty? How do you feel about her?” Almost instantaneous they both said _love _. With this Betty’s heart swelled.__

__Cheryl asked a few more questions before the session was over and the twins had two wonderful rainbows of feelings._ _

__When they finish Cheryl led them out to the lobby where Betty wrote out a check to Cheryl. She was generous enough to give Betty half off. Betty heard Aurora scream of excitement and turned around to see what the problem was. Jughead was sitting in a waiting chair and Aurora had found her way onto his lap._ _

__“I didn't realize you knew Jughead Jones,” Cheryl commented. She then had the sudden realization that this was the woman Jughead had been talking about. He was petrified to go after her. He wanted her, Cheryl knew more about that than she preferred but that came with the job, and most of all he cared for her. He didn’t want her to abandon him, he had been left too many times. He loved her and her niece and nephew. Although It wasn’t until now that Cheryl realized just how much he cared for her. Jughead Jones would never admit he went to a therapist to anyone, that would make him ‘weak’. It had taken him years to even approach after her girlfriend Toni begging him to come see her. Toni is Jughead’s best friend, she knew everything about him and knew he needed Cheryl’s help._ _

__Betty clear her throat, “Uh yeah he recommended you.” She said taking the receipt from Cheryl and walking over to Jughead and Aurora._ _

__Cheryl walked the woman walk away. She looked over to Jughead her mouth agape. He was too busy looking at the children to noticed Cheryl. Jughead Jones, a man full of secrets, had told a woman he had only known for about a month about his therapist. She knew a lot of Jughead and she was pretty sure this was in his mind his darkest secret. She sat and observed them for a moment._ _

__“This is my bottle of feelings.” Aurora said beaming proudly while Knox just shyly handed his jar to Jughead. Knox stood closer to Jughead than he ever had before and that made Betty happy._ _

__“They are both very beautiful.” Jughead complimented with a smile before Cheryl called them away to pick out some candy._ _

__“If you are good during your appointments then you get candy!” Cheryl informed them with a giant smile._ _

__Betty watched the children run to Cheryl. She looked back at Jughead and smiled, sitting by him. “You know when you recommended this place, I didn't realize you came here too.” She paused. ”Grief counseling?”_ _

__Jughead nodded, “My mom took my sister away when I was 15. Then when I turned 18 I got a call saying my mom passed. Jellybean, my sister, picked to go into foster care instead of coming with me and my dad. Then was I turned 21 my dad passed.”_ _

__Betty was at a loss for words. “I'm so sorry Jughead i didn't know. You know we could go somewhere else. We don’t have to come to your counselor.”_ _

__Jughead shook his head, ”it's okay. The kids need this.” He watched as the kids compared candy then looked at her again. “You need this. It will help them and you.” He sighed softly glancing over at Cheryl, who just smiled and nodded at him as if reading his thought. He knew that he needed to ask her. He wanted to and he had wasted enough time being worried she would hate him for it. “Hey,” He said softly touching her elbow. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”_ _

__Betty nodded softly and stood up not sure where to go. Jughead guided her by the small of her back towards the hallway door. “Cheryl, can you watch the kids a minute?”_ _

__Cheryl nodded at his request, she beamed at how paternal he already seems. She looked at the kids and whispered, “Come on lets get another piece of candy but don’t tell Aunt Betty.”_ _

__The kids yelled in excitement and Cheryl quickly shushed them. “We can’t let Aunt Betty hear!”_ _

__Jughead led her into the hallway and closed the office door behind them._ _

__Betty turned to face him when he closed the door. She could tell he was nervous about something but she couldn’t figure out just what it was. “Jug, Is everything okay?”_ _

__Jughead looked up from his feet and smiled softly. “Yeah of course.” He looked back to the door as he heard the kids giggling loudly. He then looked back at Betty, “I just didn’t know if you would have wanted the kids to hear or if I wanted Cheryl to hear.”_ _

__Betty smiled reached out and rubbed his shoulder softly, “What is it?”_ _

__Jughead smiled and pulled her hand off his shoulder and held it softly in his hand. “I was wondering if you’d like to go out to dinner with me on Friday?”_ _

__Betty smiled brightly at him, she honestly thought he would never ask. She assumed they were just going to continue to play whatever flirting game they had come up with. ”I would love that. I'll have to see if I can get off though, Friday’s are busy.”_ _

__Jughead smiled back,”Don't worry I'll make sure Pop lets you off.” He said squeezing her hand lightly. “I’ll pick you up at 7?”_ _

__Betty nodded lacing her fingers with his. She didn’t want to let go._ _

__Jughead smiled looking down at their laced hands then back up to her. “I have to go. My appointment started five minutes ago.”_ _

__“Okay.”_ _

__Jughead smiled leaning into kiss her cheek, “I’ll see you Friday.” He said releasing her hand reluctantly and walked back into the office._ _


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry this chapter took so long! But I'm pretty sure 3,000 words and the content of this chapter will make up for it. Love you guys!

Jughead sighed as he stared at himself in the mirror. His beanie sat on his head as it normally did. He then groaned in frustration tearing it off his head. His fist clenched around it tightly as he turned to hot dog, who had been staring at him for the past five minutes. 

“What?” He asked the dog. “You don't think I should go out with her do you?” Jughead nodded his head. “Hell! You're right. She’s too good for me. Why did I let Cheryl convince me I could do this? That I could trust someone? Not to leave when I became unlovable? Shit. Im canceling.” 

To that Hotdog barked making Jughead turn back to him. 

“What?” 

Hotdog howled at him sounding more like a whimper. 

Jughead sighed throwing his beanie onto the bed behind. “Okay fine I'll go.” He said pulling on the lapels of his sports coat. “How do I look?” He asked the Golden retriever who simply barked his approval then rolled over into his back.

Jughead laughed softly and leaned down to rub hot dog’s belly. “Thanks for the help.” He said grabbing his wallet and keys and heading out the door.

\----

Betty applied her _Pretty in Pink _lip gloss across her plump lips. It was her second application and yet she was still considering another coat.__

__“Aunt Betty,” Aurora said tapping Betty’s shoulder to get her attention. Betty look down at Aurora as she spoke. “You look so pretty.” She said with a toothless smile._ _

__Betty smiled at her, her eyes lit up at Aurora. “Thank you baby.” She said rubbed her cheek with her thumb before turning back to her makeup._ _

__“Where are you going?” Knox asked from the doorway._ _

__Betty smiled at him and reached her hand out beckoning him to come to her. He obliged and came to sit on her lap. “I'm going on a date.” She said taking his hand in hers. Knox simply looked up at her with big eyes._ _

__Aurora’s eyes filled with wonder. “Who Aunt Betty? Do we know him?”_ _

__Betty blushed softly, “Yes.” She said looking between them. “I'm going on a date with Jughead.”_ _

__Aurora’s face lit up at Betty’s words. “Really!?” She said jumping up and down. “Oh Aunt Betty! I love Jughead! I'm so happy! Can we go??” She asked excitedly._ _

__Betty chuckled gently and shook her head. “I promise we will all go out on a date together but right now me and Jughead need to get to know each other better so I know whether or not he's important enough to bring into our family.”_ _

__Aurora frowned, “Is Jughead still gonna be our friend if you decide not to let him be our family?” She asked with a pout and tears threatening her eyes._ _

__“Oh honey.” Betty scooped her up in her arms and pulled her into a hug with Knox. “I promise you that Jughead is always gonna be your friend and no matter what happens you always have me.”_ _

__The doorbell rang just as Betty let go of the pair. They both jumped up and ran out to the main door. Mrs. Tate had already opened the door and was chatting with Jughead. Aurora immediately threw herself into his arms screaming his name in excitement while Knox simply hugged his leg._ _

__Jughead held Aurora in his arms and rubbed knox’ hair softly. “Hey guys.” He smiled at Aurora.”I heard you guys are gonna bake cookies.”_ _

__Aurora’s eyes lit up as she looked over to Mrs. Tate. “Is that true? Nana Tate?”_ _

__Jughead smiled at Aurora’s words as Mrs. Tate simply nodded her head. He hadn’t realized how close they had become to the Tates although it made sense considering Mrs. Tate watched almost every night while Betty worked. Aurora slid down from Jughead's hold and ran to kitchen where Knox was already sitting. He had ran off the minute Jughead said cookies._ _

__Betty appeared at the end of the hallway and walked towards him with a smile. She wore a pair of black jean shorts and a white top with a illusion lace across her chest. Her hair fell free in soft curls around her face._ _

__Jughead thought she looked just stunning. She wasn’t dressed up that fancy but somehow it shook his world. “Hi….” He whispered meeting her halfway as she walked towards her. He took her hands in his gently. “You look so beautiful.” He said reaching his hand up to tuck her hair behind her ear._ _

__Betty blushed and thanked him before noticing his beanie was gone and his hair dangling in front of his face. “No beanie?” She asked pushing his hair back._ _

__He smiled at her and nodded, “No beanie.” He repeated softly before squeezing her hand gently. “You ready to go?”_ _

__Betty nodded and yelled after the children, “Bye kids! Be good please!” The twins yelled a goodbye as they they giggled over Knox’s new fire truck. Betty turned her attention to Mrs. Tate. “Thank you so much Mrs. Tate I appreciate it.”_ _

__Mrs. Tate smiled at them. “It’s no problem my dear. You two kids go have fun.” She said shooing them out the door._ _

__Betty smiled at Mrs. Tate before gently pulling Jughead out the door. When they made it outside, Betty stopped in her tracks when she saw a black motorcycle in the driveway. She knew he had a motorcycle but she didn’t expect him to bring it. She turned around to face him. “You brought your bike?” She asked raising an eyebrow, “Do you expect me to ride on that thing?”_ _

__Jughead laughed softly at her and wrapped his arm around her waist loosely. “Come on, you’ll be fine. You can hold onto me.” He said with a smile before dropping a kiss on her head._ _

__Betty melted into his hold and hugged him softly. “Okay let’s go.”_ _

__Jughead lead her to the motorcycle and climbed on himself undoing the kickstand and stabilizing the bike. He handed her a simple black helmet before putting on his own which had a crown outlined in chalk on the front._ _

__Betty climbed onto the back of the motorcycle settling herself behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist, probably too tightly than she should have. She leaned forward so she could rest her head on his shoulder. “Don’t crash.” She said simply into his ear before he started the motorcycle’s ignition._ _

__As the bike roared into motion, Betty squealed her stomach dropped from the sensation of the bike vibrating beneath her. She squeezed Jughead’s stomach gently pulling herself closer to him and laid her head against his shoulder. She suddenly felt like she wasn’t riding on a dangerous motorcycle but that she was flying free through the air._ _

__It wasn’t very long before they arrived at their date location for the evening, judging by the _Welcome to Greendale _sign they passed Betty assumed that the restaurant was just inside Greendale’s city limits. Jughead pulled into a parking spot and turned off the engine kicking the kickstand back down to hold the bike.___ _

____Betty sat up straight in her seat to pull off her helmet and looked up to the sign above them. It was a soft lit light that read simply Mariano’s. Betty smiled at the sight, sitting there as if she saw the moon for the read time. She hadn’t even noticed that Jughead got off of the bike. She barely felt the bike move underneath her when he shifted._ _ _ _

____“You ready?” Jughead asked softly as he opened the compartment to put away the helmets._ _ _ _

____Betty look over at him as she handed him her helmet. “We aren’t at Pop’s…”_ _ _ _

____Jughead smiled warmly at her as he helped her off the motorcycle. “This is our first date. And _you _are too special for Pop’s.” He said taking her hand into his.___ _ _ _

______Betty couldn’t help but blush at his comment. She didn’t say a word but simply followed him into the restaurant._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead walked into the restaurant with ease like he didn’t have any nerves regarding their date, like he knew that all of this was going to work out, like they were meant to be together. Maybe they were, but what if this date was messed up? What if life got in the way. On the inside, he was all shaking tremors. Everything about this terrified him. Being around Betty for a long period of time made his heart pound and putting his heart in the open for her to possibly smash into a million pieces. He wanted to trust that Betty would never hurt him but when so many people he had loved, who claimed to love him, had left him at the first sign of trouble, how could he trust someone to love him again?_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Reservation for Jones.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______The hostess nodded and led them towards the back of the restaurant. Betty followed him to their table squeezing his hand gently. The table they were given was a booth. Jughead slid into the round seat and Betty quickly slid in after him._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead smiled over at her as he picked up his menu. “I hope you like the food here. It’s the best Italian place near Riverdale.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty didn’t get a chance to respond when their waitress walked up to introduce herself and offer them something to drink._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead requested a bottle of champagne and two glasses of water before asking Betty if she wanted anything else to drink. She promptly shook her head before the waitress nodded in acceptance and walked away._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty turned to Jughead in disbelief, “Jughead! This place is so nice. I wish I had known.” She said glancing down to her outfit for a moment. “I would have worn something different. Something formal. I looked like a hobo compared to the people dining here.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead chuckled softly at her hobo comment, then shook his head. His presence became serious. “No Betty. You look stunning. In whatever you wear. Even that cute little Pop’s uniform.” He teased with a smirk as he leaned towards her._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty blushed softly reaching over to place he hand on top of his, her thumb grazing her skin softly. “I think you’re biased.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead chuckled softly before leaning in closer to her. “Maybe… I am.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty swore he was going to kiss her, she blushed and leaned in herself._ _ _ _ _ _

______Before their lips could connect, the waitress walked up with their champagne. She cleared her throat and sat it in between them on the table. “Don’t mind me.” She said quickly as she sat glasses on the table and walking away._ _ _ _ _ _

______Betty was glued to the back of the booth purely out of embarrassment. She snuck a peek at Jughead who was opening the champagne bottle with a smug look on his face. She rolled her eyes at him quickly but not fast enough for Jughead to miss it. He simply winked at her before pouring the champagne in her glass._ _ _ _ _ _

______The rest of the date went off without a hitch. The conversations flowed one into another and Betty learned a lot about Jughead that she didn’t know. Like how he grew up in Riverdale and spent most of his time at Pop’s so much so that when his family life went down the drain he spent most nights on Pop’s couch._ _ _ _ _ _

______“Jughead, what happened?” Betty asked over their empty dishes and half empty champagne bottle. “To your family? Is that why you go to the counselor?” She asked squeezing his hand gently and hoping that she wasn’t overstepping her boundaries._ _ _ _ _ _

______Jughead looked up at her with a small smile. He was taken by surprised that she actually wanted to know. Inside of him his subconscious screamed that he shouldn’t tell her. That when she decided to leave she would take the information and use it against him. He pushed his nagging instinct and decided to trust her. “My mom left when I was fifteen and took my sister Jellybean with her.”_ _ _ _ _ _

______“Why did she leave?” Betty asked softly as Jughead hesitated in his story._ _ _ _ _ _

______“She left because my dad was a drunk.” Jughead said with a sigh, “She didn’t take me with her. Why she didn’t take me, I don’t know.” **It’s because she doesn’t love you. **Jughead knew better than to believe his head, Cheryl told him what to do in that situation. _We don’t know that for sure. It could have been logistics. ___****__ _ _ _ _

______****__Betty smiled softly at him as she listened and rubbed his hand softly again. She could tell his thoughts went elsewhere and she was pretty sure that he blamed himself somehow for his mother’s disappearance._ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__Jughead sighed squeezing Betty’s hand as he focused back on his story. “Then when I was eighteen and my father died. I tried to go live with her but she told me that I couldn’t come, she didn’t want any bad influence around Jellybean.” **You’re just like your father. **Sometimes Jughead just wanted his anxiety to shut up or maybe if he could punch it in his face he would feel better. “My father was the leader of the Southside Serpents. They wanted me to take over so that this guy they all hated wouldn't. Said it was my right as heir. I didn't want to but when my mom regretted me I had nowhere to turn.”****_ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****Betty shifted so she was closer to him and hugged his arm laying her head on his shoulder. “I'm sorry Jug.”** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****Jughead shook his head, “Don't. I'm carrying enough guilt for the both of us.” He said before pausing for a moment. “You know when I turned twenty one. My mom passed in a boating accident and I tried to reach out to Jellybean, you know make sure she was alright.” He scoffed softly at the memory. “She wanted nothing to do with me. My mom had painted me as a monster. How a fifteen year old kid, who was a victim too, could be a monster, I'll never know.”** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****Betty sighed, “You're not a monster Jug.”** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****Jughead laid his head against hers for a moment before placing a kiss on her head. They stayed quiet for a moment and it was almost like the dark thoughts in Jughead’s mind floated away. Leaving them in relative peace even if only for a few minutes. For the first time in awhile, Jughead felt like maybe everything was going to be okay.** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****\----** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****Under the soft door lamp light, Betty looked like an angel. The yellow hue surrounded her golden hair like a halo. Jughead couldn’t believe just how extraordinary she looked, like a goddess who’d captured his heart.** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****He reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear much like he had earlier that evening when he picked her up only this time he let his hand slid down caressing her ear. He slid his hand behind her neck letting his fingers brush against the hair at the nape of her neck.** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****He let the emotions exploding inside him compel him forward, leaning close to her. His lips were mere inches from her lips when he whispered, “I really want to kiss you.”** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****Betty took a hold of his shirt gently pulling him closer to her. “Then do it.” She said lowly with a soft giggle holding onto her sentence.** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****Jughead grinned at her almost amazed at her words. It seem almost everything she did amazed him. He dipped his head down to kiss her.** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****It was slow but encaptivating. With every movement of their lips they seemed to fall deeper and deeper into the synchronicities of their souls, both lost in the kiss. Only Betty’s sudden thought of Mrs. Tate possibly watching tore them apart.** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****Betty pulled away slowly, not wanting to let go. She licked her lips softly and looked at him, they eyes connecting. “I should go inside, make sure the kids are in bed.” She said smiling softly.** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****Jughead nodded, “Okay, I’ll see you later.” He assured before kissing her cheek and watching her unlock the door and walk inside.** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****When Betty walked inside, Mrs. Tate was sitting on the couch watching a rerun of _Dallas _. The sight made Betty smile considering it was one of her mother’s favorite shows. Whenever she saw it on TV in passing or online it made her remember the good memories of her mother. Betty looked at Mrs. Tate again and noticed a smirk sitting on her face. Betty cocked her head at her, “What is it?”__** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****__Mrs. Tate looked at her a full fledged smile sitting on her face. “Damn girl, Pop hasn’t kissed me like that in years.”_ _ ** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****__This made Betty’s body inflame with embarrassment, a red tint covering her body. “Eleanor!” She said her mouth agape at her comment._ _ ** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****__Mrs. Tate chuckled as she stood out and walked over to the staircase that led to the main house upstairs. She yelled a _Goodnight _over her shoulder as she disappeared.___ _ ** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****____Betty shut off the lights in the living room and quickly checked on the twins who were fast asleep. She smiled softly before walking into her own room. She changed quickly into soft pajamas and wiped her face off of the light makeup she wore. She was careful not to wipe off her lips not wanted to get rid of the taste of Jughead’s kiss. When she climbed into bed and slip under the covers, she grinned from ear to ear, her fingers touching her lips hoping the tingling feeling on her lips lasted forever._ _ _ _ ** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****____Before she could fall asleep, her phone buzzed. It was no other than Jughead, his name decorated with a crown emoji. She smiled at the simple text that ignited her heart with happiness._ _ _ _ ** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****_____Goodnight Beautiful _, complete with a kissy face and heart emoji.__ _ _ _ _ ** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _

______****__****______Betty fell asleep quickly with nothing else on her mind but Jughead and their wonderful night._ _ _ _ _ _ ** ** _ _ ** ** _ _ _ _ _ _


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry that this took so long!! Life has been kicking me in the butt. PLLLLEASEE Enjoy! Let me know in the comments how you are liking it, I would love to her your feedback.

The next week was a bit of blur, between the diner being unusually busy and the kids having separate therapy appointments, Betty felt like her head was falling off. Oddly enough, the new relationship she had established with Jughead was the calmest aspect of her life. Seeing him every night in the diner gave her a bit of security. 

 

When he arrived at the diner that Friday, Betty was close to her edge. She walked up to him in his usual booth and leaned against the back of his seat. She was exhausted, and she was only halfway through the night. 

 

Jughead snaked his arm around her back and pulled her towards him. “What’s wrong?” He asked immediately knowing something was off.

 

Betty sighed leaning into his hold. “I'm exhausted.” She looked around the restaurant scanning her customers current needs. “I'm just so glad I'm off tomorrow. Three hours till freedom.”

 

Jughead smiled at her and rubbed her side softly. “Why don't we go out tomorrow?” He asked looking up at her.

 

Betty sighed and looked down at him. “I’ve been meaning to talk you about that.” She paused running her fingers through his hair, letting her nails scratch his scalp lightly. “I promised the kids they could come with us on a date.”

 

Jughead smiled brightly at her. “I think that's a great idea.” He wanted to get to know the twins more especially now that him and Betty had started dating. “Greendale is having a fair maybe we could go there? We could invite Ethel if you want and I can invite Sweet Pea, he's really good with kids.”

 

Betty was surprised at his willingness. “You really mean it?” Jughead simply nodded and Betty immediately leaned down to kiss him. “Thank you.” She said after kissing him gently. 

 

That Saturday, all six of them climbed into Betty's van. Jughead offered to drive so Betty could relax. The kids were supplied a game to play for the short ride and the adults talked. 

 

Sweet Pea and Ethel seemed to hit it off great, despite never meeting before. They laughed and carried on as Sweet Pea told stories of his endless shenanigans with his best friend, Fangs. Betty chuckled softly from the front seat at the nicknames this gang came up with. 

 

When they arrived at the fair, the kids were very excited. They tried to run to the fair alone before Jughead called after them. They both sighed and came back to the group of the adults. 

 

“Okay you two. You must have an adult with you at all times okay? Me, Jughead, Ethel, or Sweet Pea. If you want to leave one adult to go to another you have to tell the adult you're with. Got it?” Betty explained quickly with her hands on her hips.

 

The twins agreed before going to their own pick of adult. Aurora walked over to Sweet Pea and tugged on his jacket. He looked down at her wide eyes as she asked if she could stay with him, to which he readily agreed. 

 

Knox walked over to Jughead and grabbed onto his hand and leaned against his leg. Jughead eyes widened at the sight. He knew he was making progress with Knox, but this was a breakthrough. Jughead looked up at Betty who was beaming at the two of them. She threw up two thumbs up at him. 

 

Sweet pea picked Aurora up and put her on his shoulders. She giggled and held on tight like he instructed. As soon as she was hoisted up onto Sweet Pea’s shoulders she pointed to the tilt a whirl and screamed, “I wanna go on that!”

 

Betty sighed as Jughead handed her the tickets that he insisted he paid for. “I don’t think that’s a good idea Aurora. You are still little I don’t want you to get hurt.” 

 

Sweet pea cleared his throat gently. “I’ll go with her so she’s not alone.” 

 

Betty sighed and nodded, “Fine.” 

 

Sweet Pea grinned and ran to the ride with Aurora on his shoulders. There was barely a line so they got right on. 

 

Betty watched with worry. Jughead subtly placed his hand on her shoulder while Knox was distracted with Ethel’s silly magic tricks. “She will be okay.”

 

A mere ten minutes later, Aurora was running off the ride with tears running down her face. She ran straight towards Jughead and jumped in his arms. 

 

Jughead was taken back as he caught her in his arms. “Hey hey what’s wrong?” He asked rubbing her back gently. 

 

“It was so scary.” Aurora said as she sobbed into his arms. 

 

Jughead sighed softly, “But Sweet Pea kept you safe right?” He asked looking up at Sweet Pea who had just caught up to Aurora and was out of breath, just in the time to catch Betty smacking his arm and saying _told you so _.__

__

__Aurora sniffed, wiping her eyes with a nod. “Yeah he did.”_ _

__

__Jughead smiled at her and wiped her tears gently. “I’ll tell you what, how about we get on a less scary ride? Like the carousel? And then we can go get a funnel cake?”_ _

__

__Aurora nodded and smiled. “Yes please.”_ _

__

__Jughead smiled down at her before standing up and watching her run to Sweet Pea._ _

__

__Betty walked over to him and wrapped her arms loosely around his waist. “You are so sweet.” She said reaching up to kiss her cheek._ _

__

__Jughead froze from her touch and quickly tore himself away from her hold. “Come on let’s go get that funnel cake!” Jughead said loudly so that the kids could hear them. They immediately got excited and ran to the funnel cake stand. Jughead asked them to sit and wait at the table while he got the funnel cakes. He came back to the seat and placed the three desserts in front of them so everyone could share with someone else._ _

__

__Betty sat down next to Jughead and leaned against his shoulder. “Wanna be my sharing partner?” She asked setting her hand on his upper thigh._ _

__

__Jughead look down at her and gulped at the position of her hand. Normally, he would welcome it but not when they were around the kids. He really wanted to impress the kids and not take any of Betty’s attention away from them. Besides he was sure Betty didn’t want the kids to see any of their PDA. “Actually I was gonna ask Knox.” He said before scooping Knox up and setting him between Betty and himself. “He’s got a small belly, more goodies for me.” Jughead smiled trying to cover up his uneasiness._ _

__

__Betty just stared at him for a moment. Why was he being so cold? Certainly if this wasn’t working out he would have the decency to tell her before he took her children out. Now the kids were invested and attached, more so than they were before._ _

__

__Jughead could tell Betty was frustrated so he simply reached for her hand and squeezed it gently before pulling his hand away again._ _

__

__Soon they were finished eating their funnel cakes, Ethel decided they should get on the ferris wheel next. Sweet Pea agreed but upon sensing the tension between Jughead and Betty suggested that the kids ride with him and Ethel._ _

__

__They all piled into their own carriages, Sweet Pea, Ethel, and the kids in one. Jughead and Betty in the other._ _

__

__Jughead helped Betty into the carriage then got in himself. He latched the cart closed and sat next to Betty pulling her close. “Hey there,” He greeted with a smile as he placed his hand on her inner thigh and leaned in to kiss her._ _

__

__At first Betty kissed him back softly and then pushed him away gently. “No.” She said softly shaking his head at him._ _

__

__Jughead’s grew worried, it clearly showing on his face. “What is it Betty? Did I do something wrong?” He asked cupping her cheek and rubbing it softly with his thumb._ _

__

__Betty sighed looking away from him, “I just don’t understand.” She said with a frustrated groan, looking back towards him. “You’ve barely touched me all day, and when I’ve tried to touch you... you’ve just dodged me. And then now you’re all over me. I don’t understand.”_ _

__

__Jughead sighed looking down then back up at her. “Well I didn’t know how you wanted to play it with the kids. I mean do they know that I’m your boyfriend or even what a boyfriend is?”_ _

__

__Betty smiled softly shaking her head, “Well I mean they don’t know everything that a boyfriend is but they know that it means you’re my friend.”_ _

__

__Jughead nodded at her and covered her hand with his. “Yeah I know, friends don’t touch each other like we do.”_ _

__

__Betty bit her lip and looked at Jughead as she hooked her hand behind his neck. “Jughead Jones… I _want _you to touch me.” She said softly as she leaned in to kiss him. She of course had kissed him before but this was different. There was a need seeping through the kiss begging him not to neglect her. She pulled away licking her lips.___ _

____ _ _

____“Well Damn.” Jughead said breathing heavy, although before he could say anything else the ride had come to a stop. He sighed at the sound of the kids yelling for them. “We will take care of this later.” He promised before exiting the car and then helping her out. He then pulled her close sliding his hand into her back pocket as they walked. “How was the ride?” He asked the kids who had immediately hugged his legs._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Betty melted into Jughead’s arms as she smiled at the kids at their feet._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____“Can we go home now? I’m sleepy.” Knox asked Jughead, tugging on his pant leg._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Jughead looked between the gang to see they were all sleepy. “Okay come on let’s go.” He said as Aurora took off to the car and Sweet Pea followed after her so she wasn’t alone. Knox was trying to climb up his leg so he picked him up and carried him to the car._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Soon they arrived to Betty’s front door after dropping off Ethel and Sweet Pea. Betty instructed Jughead to put a slumbering Knox on the couch. “I will get him to bed.” Betty assured._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____“You sure? I can put him to bed.” Jughead offered again._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Betty shook her head and stepped to him holding his lapels. “I wish you could put me to bed.” She said with heated eyes._ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Jughead groaned softly as he dipped his head to kiss her. “I promise you I will put you to bed soon, okay?”_ _ _ _

____ _ _

____Betty sighed into his lips and nodded, “Okay.”_ _ _ _


End file.
